Tips on how to avoid being taken advantage of in door-to-door scams

Ask for photo ID and get the name of the person

Door-to-door scammers will try any guise to take advantage.

As such, the OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) offer tips to prevent homeowners from becoming victims of fraud.

Door-to-door scammers use high pressure tactics and tend to be aggressive in nature. Consumers find themselves in a situation where they purchase a product or sign up for a service they neither want nor need.

Some common door-to-door scams reported to the CAFC include solicitations for a charitable donation, an investment opportunity, or a service scam involving the sale or maintenance of an appliance such as air conditioning given southern Ontario’s recent heat wave.

Door-to-door sales rules can vary from province to province. For instance, on March 1, 2018, Ontario banned unsolicited, door-to-door sales of certain household appliances to better protect consumers from aggressive and misleading contracting at home.

The new rules apply to air cleaners, air conditioners, air purifiers, duct cleaning services, furnaces, water filters, water heaters, water purifiers, water softeners, water treatment devices as well as bundles of these goods and services.

Homeowners are advised to know their rights. Look up the provincial and territorial consumers affairs office atconsumerhandbook.ca. Most provinces and territories have guidelines under their Consumer Protection Act (CPA). Warning Signs - How to Protect Yourself: • Ask for photo ID, get the name of the person and the name of the company or charity they represent.

• Ask for a charity’s breakdown of where funds are allocated. Be sure to get it in writing.

• Never share any personal information or copies of any bills or financial statements.

• Research before you invest. Don’t sign anything and always read the fine print.

• If a contract is signed within the home, you have a cooling-off period. In Ontario, consumers have the right to cancel a contract for any reason within a 10-day cooling off period. For water heater contracts, there is a 20-day cooling off period.